IV | My ‘Spotify, Wrapped’ 2018

07-12-2018 09:12

The year is coming to a close and Spotify has graciously found the time to remind me of how long this year actually was by acknowledging my music tastes since January. Tastes that I genuinely feel I explored centuries ago.

This memory care package most notably comes with a Top 5 of the artists and songs you’ve had on repeat for the longest time (I believe it measures by minutes not by complete plays) and quite astoundingly, my most replayed artist of 2018 was Madvillain, a critically acclaimed hip-hop combo who’ve only released a single album (worth mention) and although that album is phenomenally compact with captivating production and holorhyme lyricism that’s often nonsensical but always intriguing, I’m struggling to see how I had that played for a full 24 hours throughout the year.

My second most played artist however, I can absolutely see being played so often as with such a tight discography, their music has enthralled me for the last couple years; The Beat (also known as The English Beat) experienced the peak of their popularity in the early 80’s by fusing elements of ska, reggae & pop with unpretentious politically-inclined lyrics to produce something both absolutely accessible and immediately original. For their most exciting work, listen to Special Beat Service.

My third most played was Kendrick Lamar and as much as for years, I’ve wanted to gush about his already recognised brilliance, I feel that deserves a post of its own so I’ll just mention his appearance here. But while I am here; anyone who hasn’t experienced To Pimp a Butterfly hasn’t experienced the true capabilities of sonic creativity.

Whereas my most played artist had only released a single album, my fourth most played did… exactly the same. Toby Fox, also known as the creator of Undertale (incredible game, definitely worth checking out for literally any niche occupier or mainstream casual) composed the revered soundtrack for his similarly acclaimed game.

The soundtrack for Undertale, clocking in at 2 hours long, I can absolutely see in being one of my most played projects throughout the year, especially as I found it perfect for studying during the latter half. Along with Frank Ocean’s Blonde, Noname’s Room 25 & Borealism’s Ripples in the Stream (beautifully calming) but Undertale’s soundtrack was on repeat for many wasted days in the library.

It may appear at first to be nothing more than a collection of 8-Bit melodies somehow clocking in at 2 hours, but if you give it a chance, you’ll find some of the most exciting (MEGALOVANIA & Death by Glamour), most calming (Home & Undertale) & most haunting (Waterfall) pieces of music EVER… composed by one person on a computer.

And for my fifth most played artist(s), we have Brockhampton, the creative explosion of multiple passionate personalities who are all operating in distinct energies and yet I don’t ever want to see them as anything less than a group. In 2017 they released a trilogy of records appropriately titled SATURATION1, 2 & 3, literally over-saturating their discography with exciting and original hip-hop exhibiting simultaneous unfiltered vulnerability and electric joy.

So there are my 5 most played artists of 2018 and hopefully next year will bring more diverse and exciting mu… Brockhampton records. All I want is Brockhampton.

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